Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-08-17
WAGES IN JAPAN.
Tho Pay Asked by Japanese Laborers 70
an Inferior Kind of Work.


an Inferior Kind Of Work.
Since the table of wages in Toxic
given in the third report of the royal
commission appointed TO inquire into
the causes of the depression of trade and
industry, is apt to be taken as it stands
by the outside world, shall give few
facts of such tradesmen as / have had
dealings with.
Carpenters, 40 to 60 cents. The first
figure is out of all question. For about
year l employed carpenter off and
on at 60 cents day-that is, when time
permitted. He would begin work at
about a. M, 'work' till 6 p. m, and
devote about three hours a day to
smoking and thinking-he was a great
thinker in his way-and eating, and
the work he did in the remaining six
hours with the awkward toys that pass
for tools here, an English or an Amer
lean carpenter would do in one hour,
which brings a japanese carpenters
wages to 60 cents per hour, or taking
the day at eight working hours, to SO
per day. And have employed carpen-
ters at rs cents and 81 per day with the
same result.
Plasterers, 45 to 55 cents per day; to
be had at that rate at about u weeks
notice. The year before last had to
employ two plasterers to repair place
in the wall of house where piece of
plaster of about two feet square had
fallen out. The two artists turned up
at 10 u. M, and, sitting down upon II
couple of empty wine-cases, lit their
pipes. At about 10:30 a. M. one of
them approached the damaged place
within a yard, took mental photo
graph of it, and sat down. At IL a.
m. mutual friend appeared, who was
warmly welcomed, and, after smoking
pipe or two, amused them by stand
ing on his head and by that time they
had got very hungry and made a pause
of two hours for tif1in. Pipes again.
Then the one who had carefully sound
ed the wall knocked another piece of
plaster down. Pipes again. BY 5 p.
IN. they had made the hole about three
times its original size, and were SO
thoroughly exhausted that they left Off
Next day q stray drop of water, where
ever it may have come from, lighted
on one fellows nose and made them
conclude it was going to rain, so that
no work could be done in the after
noon. Well, to cut matters short,
those two square feet of plaster-that
is river mud-cost me So. An English
or American plasterer would have sent
one of his boys and boxed his ears if
he did not come back in an hour.
Painters-space will not permit to
go through the whole list-25 to 80
cents per day. I have some work for
a painter at present, and am willing to
give 40 cents per day, but the man will
not work under so cents, and says it
will take him eight or ten days to do
the job. Now, estimate the time in
which the work can be done and should
be done-and there are but few things
but that / have done myself-at two
and one-half or three d US time of
nine working hours, so that l would
be paying at the rate of $1.50 to $1.66
per day, and have things at skies and
sevens for more than week.
could give instances of the same
kind ad infinitum, but then the cour-
tesy of newspaper editors does not and
can not extend to writing books in the
columns of their papers, and if l have
thrust forward q few hard facts here, 1
have done so from the reason that
those who contemplate trying their
chances in this country in the near
future may not be misled and after
ward cry out in the bitterness of their
disappointment that they have been de-
celved, and become blind to much that
is good and to be appreciated in Japan.
l am not thus disappointed-this to
guard myself against any such sus-
picion-for have returned to Japan
of my own free will, knowing all this,
and much that l have said here and
much of similar import have said to
those whom the King has delighted to
honor; yet l am as welcome at their
palaces or residences as ever l was. l
may hope, therefore, that the reason l
have just given for making these re-
marks will be accepted, all the more as
my bread would very probably be but
tered much thicker on the other side
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